Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

Muñoz
Component City
Science City of Muñoz
City Hall
Seal
Map of Nueva Ecija showing the location of Muñoz
Muñoz Location within the Philippines
Coordinates: 15°43′N 120°54′E / 15.717°N 120.900°E / 15.717; 120.900Coordinates: 15°43′N 120°54′E / 15.717°N 120.900°E / 15.717; 120.900
Country	Philippines
Region	Central Luzon (Region III)
Province	Nueva Ecija
District	2nd District
Founded	1913
Cityhood	December 9, 2000
Barangays	37
Government[1]
• Mayor	Nestor Lazaro Alvarez
Area[2]
• Total	163.05 km2 (62.95 sq mi)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	75,462
• Density	460/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zone	PHT (UTC+8)
ZIP Code	3119, 3120
IDD : area code	+63 (0)44
Income class	4th class city
Website	www.sciencecityofmunoz.ph

Muñoz , officially the Science City of Muñoz, is a city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Central Luzon, Philippines, situated 151 kilometres (94 mi) north of the capital Manila. Due to its rich topography and tropical climate, it is now home to agricultural research and technology centers, committed to the production of information and technological breakthroughs to promote rural development, productivity and food security.

From its lowly origins as “Sitio Papaya”, it was renamed as Muñoz in 1886 in honor of Spanish Governor Don Francisco Muñoz. It was in 1913, under Executive Order No. 72, when Muñoz was declared as a new and independent municipality.

Barangays

Muñoz is politically subdivided into 37 barangays:

History

From Sitio to Barrio

In 1886, Papaya was changed into 'Muñoz' to honor Don Francisco Muñoz, the province’s alcalde mayor, and the community’s first appointed gobernadorcillo. Muñoz was annexed as a barrio of San Juan de Guimba municipality. Settlers trickled in from Bulacan and the Ilocos Region. In 1911, Factoria (now San Isidro town), the provincial capital, was totally flooded. Muñoz was then considered a possible new capital of the province.

At about the same time, the people of Barrios Muñoz and San Antonio, also in San Juan de Guimba town, and Palusapis in Sto. Domingo municipality, together with Sitios Kabisukulan, Rang-ayan, Mataas na Lupa, Siniguelas, Purok Agrikultura, and Pulong Maragul in Talavera town, were organizing themselves to be separated from their three respective municipalities to become a new independent municipality. They were prepared to construct a municipal hall and a school building for the emerging town.

From Barrio to town and Science City

On the recommendation of the Provincial Board of Nueva Ecija, then headed by Governor Isauro Gabaldon, and with approval of then Acting Governor General Newton Gilbert, the organized barrios and sitios were granted independence as a regular municipality on January 10, 1913 under the name of Muñoz. The seat of the fledgling municipal government was positioned in erstwhile Barrio Muñoz. The municipality of Muñoz was born and steadily grew to become an agricultural Science City in the making.

A municipal hall, a church, and a small public market were erected in Lumang Bayan (now Poblacion North). A road linking the young Muñoz town with the national highway from Barangay Bacal, Talavera was constructed. In World War II, Muñoz was the last stronghold of the Japanese Imperial Army; the Allied liberation in Muñoz by the joint United States and Philippine Commonwealth forces offensive razed the town to the ground in a matter of days.

In 2000, after achieving cityhood status, universities and scientific research institutes sprung up. The local government used and, after ratified, adopted the Science city status.

Demographics

Economy

Philippine Carabao Center facade, National Headquarters and Gene Pool

National Freshwater and Fisheries Training and Research Center (NFFTRC)

Mango grove in Muñoz

There are many new establishments in Munoz in the past few years. Notable are Friendship Supermarket, Inc (FSi), and the Villa-Mendoza Training Institute, both are now major landmarks on the city.

With a bustling market center with rice trading as a major economic activity, it has transformed into its present status as a Science City by virtue of Republic Act 8977 on December 9, 2000. Being a science city, Muñoz was acknowledged as one of the members of League of Cities of the Philippines and became a pilot city of achieving the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.

Research and development

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) (formerly the Maligaya Rice Research and Training Center (MRRTC)) is found in Muñoz, as well as the Central Office of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC). The main offices of the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE) and the National Freshwater Fishery Technology Center, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-NFFTC) are also based in Muñoz.

Transportation

As with most towns in Central Luzon, inter-city transport is through the Pan-Philippine Highway (also known as Maharlika Highway/ Asian Highway 26), the country's principal transport backbone. The principal mode of transport is through Jeepneys with fixed routes, or through tricycles, whom you need to tell where to go.

Buses from Cagayan Valley to Manila and vice versa stops here.

Land use

References

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Science City of Muñoz.

• Science City Of Muñoz Official Website
• Philippine Standard Geographic Code
• Philippine Census Information
• Local Governance Performance Management System
• Inquirer.net, Carabao may be key to biofuel, says scientist